patent

Apple has been granted a patent (via AppleInsider) that describes a method for tracking eye movement and using it to control UI elements on computing devices. The gaze-based control system also includes methods designed to counteract visual effects that can occur when a person stares at a fixed space for a long stretch of time, which can trick their eyes into thinking some UI elements have… Read More

Apple has been awarded a patent by the USPTO based on IP it acquired from Kodak in a deal from 2013, which details a remote digital camera system that can be controlled from a smartwatch (Apple Watch fantasists should note that this patent was originally created in 2012). The Apple patent specifically seeks to address flaws identified in the design of competitors including the GoPro HD… Read More

Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider) that describes a new type of stylus in detail, which can capture handwriting from a user, on a variety of surfaces and with a range of writing nibs that let it also write on paper, whiteboards or even an iPad’s capacitive touchscreen.
The stylus design uses accelerometers and other motion sensors to track movement… Read More

A new patent application published by the USPTO (via AppleInsider) details some additional uses of the Touch ID sensor found on the iPhone and iPad that could make its way into future products. The patent is credited to AuthenTec co-founder Dale R. Setlak, meaning Apple is putting the company it acquired to build Touch ID to good use. It describes how a users’ finger on the Touch ID… Read More

Apple had an interesting patent granted to it today by the USPTO (via AppleInsider), which describes a graphic user interface on the iPad that more closely resembles a desktop arrangement of files and folders than the current app-based iOS UX. The most interesting part of the patent might be that it uses physics-based animations and interactions to manipulate those files and folders, however… Read More

Apple has two new patent applications out today (via AppleInsider) that show it’s been working on boosting the iPhone’s navigation abilities with augmented reality features. The patent describes a way that the iPhone could use its camera in combination with on-device software to generate virtual maps of your surroundings, which are overlaid on a real feed, and which can do things… Read More

Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider) that describes various control mechanisms that could be used with flexible displays, to replace components such as physical buttons with more durable and resilient alternatives, and to create alternate means for detecting sound output, providing haptic feedback and even performing other tricks like making it easier to open… Read More

Apple has received a patent from the USPTO (via AppleInsider) that covers multiple kinds of smartwatch devices, including a modular design that includes a smart strap with built-in sensors and controls that can host a plug-in personal media device (like the previous iPod nano) and an all-in-one that likely bears more resemblance to the coming iWatch we’ve been hearing so many rumors about. Read More

Apple has a new patent out (via AppleInsider) that describes a method for locking a device or asking a user for proof of their identity if the device detects a pattern of unusual behavior. It’s a security method that goes beyond the standard pins and passwords, letting your phone pick up on cues like your specific grammar habits, vocabulary, motion sensor information and particular… Read More

Latest Crunch Report

Apple had some new patent applications related to wearables published today (via AppleInsider) and they all deal with a system in which the iPhone acts as a hub that collects data from sensors in wristbands and other types of accessories to automatically track user activity level and set alarms, notifications, and other device settings based on what it sense about a device owner’s… Read More

Apple has just renewed its exclusive licensing deal with LiquidMetal, a fairly exotic metal alloy that behaves like plastic, and today it was granted a patent by the USPTO (via AppleInsider) for use of that material combined with glass displays, including those made by sapphire. The patent describes the process of bonding a display to a LiquidMetal device case, which could form the basis for… Read More

Apple has applied for a patent (via AppleInsider) that would introduce mechanical shutters to mobile devices that would slide shut when they detect a potential fall or impact, protecting sensitive weak points like speakers and microphones. These areas are currently kept safe using wire mesh and extremely small openings, but a shutter system would make it possible to build devices with bigger… Read More

Apple has a new patent that could pave the way for future solar-powered mobile devices, according to AppleInsider. The new intellectual property describes a method for embedding a solar array within a layer that includes touch sensors, and which can all be fit within a flexible display module, in order to save space in its ever-shrinking electronic devices.
The patent is a modified version of… Read More

Apple has a new patent application published by the USPTO (via AppleInsider) that makes it easier to remember who you’re texting. This could help alleviate the incredibly painful SMS fails where you send a message to the wrong person, occasionally with catastrophic results. The system works using contact pictures employed in the background of text conversations as a big, glaring visual… Read More

Apple has a new patent granted today (spotted by AppleInsider) for a side-mounted wraparound display that could be used to add virtual buttons to the edges of future iPhones in place of physical controls. The display would run the circumference of the device, and offer up virtual versions of current physical controls, including volume up/down, but it would also make it possible for Apple to show… Read More

Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider), and it describes a for determining a user’s position when they’re indoors, using existing Wi-Fi infrastructure instead of requiring newer tech and hardware installations to support something like iBeacons. The system also incorporates GPS, and appears to describe tech similar to that Apple acquired when it… Read More

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter. Like being able to carry on texting without walking into a tree. Apple apparently thinks so anyway. A patent Cupertino filed back in September 2012 has just surfaced with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — that shows the company thinking up ways to help people keep walking and texting without bumping into stuff. Read More

Apple has a new patent published by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider), and this one is a result of its deal to acquire Nortel’s considerable trove of intellectual property with the Rockstar consortium of tech companies. The patent describes a method for letting user listen in on, as well as interrupt and answer remotely hosted voicemail recordings.
Essentially, this is what old… Read More

A new patent granted to Apple today (via AppleInsider) introduces a concept that shows how it might go about introducing touch-based input to its notebook line. The patent describes a special notebook display that has two sides, as well as photovoltaic cells for charging, and touch input sensors on its outward shell.
The design is quite different from anything Apple currently puts out, and has… Read More

Google may soon offer a new service that combines its advertising business with its knowledge about local transport options, taxis and – in the long run – autonomous cars. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week granted Google a patent for arranging free (or highly discounted) transportation to an advertiser’s business location. Read More